MnO₂-FILLED MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBE/POLYANILINE NANOCOMPOSITES: EFFECT OF LOADING ON THE CONDUCTION PROPERTIES AND ITS PERCOLATION THRESHOLD

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of ternary nanocomposites consisting of polyaniline (PANI), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) at different MWCNT– MnO 2 loadings. The composite electrical percolation threshold is investigated as well. The in situ nanocomposites were characterized by UV-visible, Fourier transform and Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. The conductivity of the nanocomposite reached up to 78.79 Scm -1 with 50 wt.% addition of MWCNT– MnO 2 with good conduction stability and reversibility. The percolation threshold of this nanocomposite was achieved at 0.5 wt.%. Using the scaling law of the percolation theory, it was found that the theoretical conductivity of the nanocomposite exhibited an exponential factor, (t) of 1.38 instead of the universal t value of 2.